Women Empowerment & Serengeti Tour

My internship abroad in Tanzania

As part of my studies, I was looking for a suitable internship and I quickly got the idea to combine it with a stay abroad. A few minutes later I landed on the RGV Women Empowerment Project website. My decision was made relatively quickly. Although I hadn't dealt much with Tanzania or Africa yet, it was clear to me that I would like to do my two-month internship there.

Can I do it?

With the decision I also had some concerns. I thought about what it would be like to be so far from home, whether I would be up to the challenges on the ground, whether my English skills would be sufficient, how it might be to immerse yourself in a culture that was previously foreign, and so much more . These worries were quickly taken away from me and now, in retrospect, I would say that the time in Tanzania is probably one of my most important and great experiences to date.

Die ankunft

I spent the first days in Dar Es Salaam with Emanuel and his family in the Student House. He picked me up from the airport, gave me information about life in Tanzania, taught me the first terms in Swahili and familiarized me with the most important food: Chipsi Mayai, a kind of omelette with potatoes. I quickly learned to love this dish and ate it frequently throughout my time.

A new culture

When I arrived in Mtwara two days later, everything was new, exciting and unfamiliar. It felt like I was immersed in a completely different world. It took me a few days to get used to my new home for the next two months and to adjust my "German mentality" to the Tanzanian one. When the first week was over, I already had the feeling that I had really arrived. The local people - both the locals and the volunteers, the nature around the house, the sun and the village made it really easy for you to feel at home quickly!

The everyday project life in Tanzania

Everyday life in Mtwara was something very special every day. We started with a breakfast together and then split up into our projects. After work, we took care of lunch or waited for two ladies, who sell incredibly delicious juice and cake, to come to our house. The afternoons were mostly at our free disposal, so we could look anew every day to see whether we wanted to lie comfortably in the hammock, drive to the beach, into the city or to the market.

leisure

All activities have their own advantages. Relaxing in a hammock is really good after work and is anything but boring. Because there are always locals and volunteers in the house, there is always something going on. We have spent many afternoons and evenings having great conversations, listening to music and mostly dancing too, we came up with crazy ideas, such as making a small film, and on rainy days we just have times watched the rain.

Excursions

But the city and the market are also worth a visit! In the city we often sat down in a bakery and ate a little something and drank a juice or stocked ourselves with the most necessary things. The market is always bustling. You can find everything from fresh fruit and vegetables to hygiene items to clothes and jewelry and it is worth experiencing the atmosphere there.

Sea & sunset

You should also buy kitenge there - this is the material from which clothes are sewn in Tanzania. Almost every one of us let the sewing teacher from the Women Empowerment Project sew something. He sewed simple jute bags or pants as well as unusual shirts and dresses for us and it is simply a beautiful memory that you will be happy to take home with you and will always remind you of the great time in Tanzania. And a trip to the beach is always worthwhile. Lying under a palm tree and lingering in the rather warm sea from time to time and watching the sunset in the evening is just beautiful.

The Women Empowerment Project

My project was initially about taking care of English and math classes. It also took a little time to arrive here, because we volunteers are given a lot of freedom in the design. Something that I really appreciate in retrospect, because this has resulted in many other small projects within the Women Empowerment. For example, one day we drove to the beach with the girls and collected plastic waste with them. A video was made of the whole campaign, in which we talked again about the importance of always taking your garbage with you and 1. collecting other garbage.

Dance project & fashion show

We also launched a dance project over a period of around four weeks. The goal of the whole was the performance of various choreographies at a fashion show, which we organized in the amphitheater of the house. We taught the girls a few dances and in the end the girls also taught us a lot so that we were able to present a great mix to the audience, which consisted of villagers, family members of the girls and friends. And as befits a real fashion show, the girls were also able to present their favorite self-sewed clothing there. This evening was absolutely my highlight as part of my project. The preparations and especially the performance was great fun for all of us!

In addition to our actual projects, we have repeatedly started smaller projects on the house. For example, we sewed a hammock, built a swing, made pillows to lie and sit on, or made toys for the dog and cat that belong to the house. I think you can hear it quite well so far: there is no boredom in Mtwara!

Serengeti & Kilimanjaro Safari

But now I come to the highlight of my whole trip: the safari through various national parks in northern Tanzania. A couple of other volunteers and I were out for almost a week. The first few days we did a classic safari. I drove through the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater by car and I can hardly put into words what I saw there. Not only the animals, but also nature impressed us so much that we couldn't get out of amazement.

Game Drive & BIG FIVE

The best moments on safari were definitely the game drives before sunrise. At that time we saw mostly elephants and giraffes, who ate their breakfast comfortably in the great light of the rising sun. We also saw many other animals. From colorful birds to large flocks of monkeys, zebras and buffalos to a rhino, there was a lot. Unfortunately we could not complete the big five, because we did not succeed in seeing a leopard.

Paradise Hot Springs

We spent the last two days in the Student House in Arusha. From there we visited the Hot Springs and I think there is no more suitable description for this place than "heavenly". We spent a few hours there, jumped into the water with a liana, swam and enjoyed the sun. On the last day we drove to the Materuni waterfall, which lies at the foot of the Kilimanjaro. After a long hike there, we couldn't help but jump into the cold waterfall. On the way back we ran to a coffee plantation. There we were told everything about growing and preparing coffee and there was a coffee ceremony where we could do everything ourselves from the bean to the boil and in the end had our own coffee.

Zanzibar.

I was also able to visit Zanzibar during my time in Tanzania and I can only recommend everyone to make a detour there. The white beaches invite you to relax and there is a lot to discover in Stone Town. A perfect mix for a little break.

When my two months came to an end, I was far from having enough of the country, the people and my project. So I decided to extend my stay by two weeks. I would have loved to stay longer, but my studies in Germany had to go on. But I am sure that I will visit Tanzania and the house and the people in Mtwara again, because for my two and a half months this place was a real home for me!

Experience report from Leonie from the Women Empowerment Project in Tanzania, May 2020